ODU Receives UTC Program Grant
By: Siaga Johnson
Contributing Writer
Old Dominion University is one of four schools to share the 2012 University Transportation Center’s research grant. The grant will enable ODU to facilitate research to foster Transportation for Livability by Integrating Vehicles and the Environment or alternatively, TransLIVE.
Goals of this research include the integration of data systems and advanced transportation applications to increase traffic efficiency as well as reducing harmful effects on the environment. Research will also enable participants to create models, engage in simulation, and create visualization tools to identify energy usage deficits and solutions to turn such problems around.
The University Transportation Center works with national transportation agencies to not only fund, but also contribute ideas on how to innovate solutions to challenges that pose environmental and transportation problems to communities. Implications of such challenges are also assessed when measuring the efficiency of the nation’s transportation system. This fosters collaboration among officials involved in national transportation issues, to identify the best solutions to problems.
“The main mission of the centers is to help our nation achieve the goals of a cleaner environment and greater energy independence through developing new technologies and decision support tools,” professor of civil engineering and director of Old Dominion University’s Transportation Research Institute Asad Khattak said. Khattak will work with Mike Robinson, the research assistant professor at ODU’s Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center, as well as Mecit Cetin, the assistant professor of modeling and simulation research. ODU’s share of the grant allocates $600,000 for this research endeavor, and will cover faculty, staff and student salaries as well as money needed for equipment and tuition for students participating in this research.
John Sokolowski, the executive director of the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center said “The work of Drs. Khattak, Robinson and Cetin in the field of transportation modeling and simulation can help provide a valuable service in keeping our roads safer, cleaner and more efficient.” Support for such research was also extended by the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission through letters of support for Old Dominion’s participation.
Receiving $600,000 is an opportunity for Old Dominion University to participate in research that has a direct influence on pressing environmental problems that the community and nation face. With the funds and ideas put in place to find new applications for transportation solutions, improvements in efficiency regarding traffic, and energy consumption will lead to less energy wastage, and less harm done to the environment.
photo Department Of Transportation
